Rufus raves

Our pre-eminent crooner Rufus Wainwright on success, wearing women's pants and the joys of a Montreal recession

by MATTHEW HAYS

Despite being very, very tired, Rufus Wainwright expresses genuine enthusiasm about his top spots in the Best of Montreal. He's on the line from Paris, where he's in the midst of a "crazy" European tour. But amid the work, he's happy. His latest album, Want Two, is about to go gold in Canada. The accolades keep pouring in, both for his studio albums and his live performances. He's granting interviews back to back to the Euro press. He's performing a couple of gigs with Sir Elton John.

And then there are the Mirror's BOM '05 results: Wainwright has taken top spot for Best Singer/Songwriter and Best Dressed, and came in a close second as Most Desirable Man. Wainwright is touched - after all, though he does spend time in other parts of the world, he remains deeply attached to his home turf.

"I was fortunate to grow up in a city experiencing a large recession," Wainwright deadpans. "It meant I didn't get a job. I didn't spend the majority of my time trying to make money, and therefore I could focus on my art. I do remember being a teenager and university student, and being in the same predicament as my friends at the time. We were always scrounging for milk money.

"And in a strange way, it's no wonder these days that there's such a renaissance in Montreal: the Dears, Arcade Fire, Martha Wainwright - we couldn't get work in the '90s."

But aside from the fact that Montreal is "the finest bohemian city in North America," Wainwright says his allegiance to the place where the world began for him now runs into political territory. "The conservative movement has become very frightening, and I'm very proud of the way Canada and Quebec have conducted themselves to counter it. I feel very safe in Montreal - it's a refuge for me."

It's been an uphill glide for Wainwright over the past year. He had a striking cameo in Martin Scorsese's Oscar-nominated The Aviator, playing - what else? - a stylin' crooner. "At the premiere, Scorsese walked up to me and said, ‘You know, in that scene, you're a one-man Greek chorus.' I thought that was very sweet. My scene only called for three days of shooting. But I pretended that The Aviator was my music video and that Leonardo DiCaprio was just an annoying extra. That's the way I handle things sometimes."

As for his Best-Dressed ranking, Wainwright has a few fashion pointers: "Men always look great in women's pants. Don't be afraid to go to the Ladies' department for pants - if you have nice legs that is. Usually they have better cuts. If you get dressed up, right before you leave, stand before the mirror and remove one thing. And the most ingenious accessory is a white belt - they can make an outfit totally work."

Wainwright says he has not received an invite to Elton John's same-sex wedding - rumoured to be taking place in Canada - but "I'm taking a private jet with him next week, so maybe he'll invite me then. We exchange accessory tips all the time."

Wainwright acknowledges his rather extreme ups and downs, but says this marks a time of real confidence for him. "With four albums under my belt, I feel I have a repertoire. This is a time of success. And I'm thrilled that my sister Martha is doing so well. She's amazing."

Wainwright seems acutely self-conscious about his forays in the media. What with his infamous trip to "gay hell," a drug binge that led to rehab, and his cuddling with Liza Minelli for the cameras, Wainwright often seems to be parodying celebrity journalism as he indulges it.

"I do enjoy good conversation. In general, I find music quite boring to talk about. I'm a huge fan of classic celebrity antics and the era where if you were a star you had to be an all-around star, in terms of the way you acted and dressed. I'm so tired of people up there who have absolutely nothing to say.

"I try to make it as entertaining as possible."